• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.11-22
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• 2016

The characterization of treatment performance with respect to mixed liquor suspended solids (MLSS) concentration enables greater control over system performance and contaminant removal efficiency. Hybrid membrane bioreactors (HMBRs) have yet to be well characterized in this regard, particularly in the context of greywater treatment. The aim of this study, therefore, was to determine the optimal MLSS concentration for a decentralized HMBR greywater reclamation system under typical loading conditions. Treatment performance was measured at MLSS concentrations ranging from 1000 to 4000 mg/L. The treated effluent was characterized in terms of biochemical oxygen demand ($BOD_5$), chemical oxygen demand (COD), turbidity, ammonia ($NH_3$), total phosphorus (TP), total kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), and total nitrogen (TN). An MLSS concentration ranging from 3000 to 4000 mg/L yielded optimal results, with $BOD_5$, COD, turbidity, $NH_3$, TP, TKN, and TN removals reaching 99.2%, 97.8%, 99.8%, 99.9%, 97.9%, 95.1%, and 44.8%, respectively. The corresponding food-to-microorganism ratio during these trials was approximately 0.23 to 0.28. Operation at an MLSS concentration of 1000 mg/L resulted in an irrecoverable loss of floc, and contaminant residuals exceeded typical guideline values for reuse in non-potable water applications. Therefore, it is suggested that operation at or below this threshold be avoided.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.433-441
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• 2021

The aim of this study was to optimize the ozonation and ceramic membrane integrated process for greywater reclamation. The integrated process is a repeated sequential process of filtration and backwash with the same ceramic membrane. Also, this study used ozone and oxygen gas for the backwashing process to compare backwashing efficiency. The study results revealed that the optimum filtration and backwash time for the process was 10 minutes each when comparing the filtrate flow and membrane recovery rate. The integrated process was operated at three different operating conditions with i) 10 minutes for filtration and 10 minutes for ozonation, ii) 10 minutes for filtration and 10 minute for oxygen aeration, and iii) continuous filtration without any aeration for synthetic greywater. The integrated process with ozone backwashing could produce 0.55 L/min of filtrate with an average of 18.42% permeability recovery, while the oxygen backwashing produced 0.47 L/min and 6.26%, respectively. And without any backwashing, the integrated process could produce 0.29 L/min. This shows that the ozone backwash process is capable of periodically recovering from membrane fouling. The resistance of the fouled membrane was approximately 34.4% for the process with ozone backwashing, whereas the resistance was restored by 10.8% for the process with oxygen backwashing. Despite the periodical ozone backwashing and chemical cleaning, irreversible fouling gradually increased approximately 3 to 4%. Approximately 97.6% and 15% turbidity and TOC were removed by ceramic membrane filtration, respectively. Therefore, the integrated process with ozonation and ceramic membrane filtration is a potential greywater treatment process.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.15-26
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• 2015

The compact structure and high-quality effluent of membrane bioreactors make them well-suited for decentralized greywater reclamation. However, the occurrence of membrane fouling continues to limit their effectiveness. To address this concern, a unique membrane module configuration was developed for use in a decentralized greywater treatment system. The module featured local aeration directly below a series of inclined membrane bundles, giving the overall module a twisted appearance compared to a module with vertically orientated fibres. The intent of this design was to increase the frequency and intensity of collisions between rising air bubbles and the membrane surface. Material related to the construction of custom-fit modules is rarely communicated. Therefore, detailed design and assembly procedures were provided in this paper. The twisted module was compared to two commercially available modules with diverse specifications in order to assess the relative performance and marketability of the twisted module with respect to existing products. Contaminant removal efficiencies were determined in terms of biochemical oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, ammonia, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and turbidity for each module. Membrane fouling was monitored in terms of permeate flux, transmembrane pressure, and membrane resistance. Following 168 h of operation, the twisted module configuration demonstrated competitive performance, indicating good potential for further development and commercialization.